Fire-escape.



M. B. PEINEN.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. 1911.

1,036,987, Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

'. null/II .g l I l illll h,

. I l il' l llfl 1, 2 v \t I? 1 gum/Mom mBFimn MARY B. FEINEN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

Application filed April 19, 1911. Serial No. 622,146.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY B. FEINEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire escapes, and has for an object to provide a simply constructed device applicable to all. forms of buildings, which will occupy but small space, is easy of access, and a device the relatively few movable parts of which cannot easily get out of order.

The invention essentially comprises a fixed member or pole being vertically arranged against the side of a building, and a traveling member detachably engaging about the pole and having a body strap by means of which persons may secure the traveling member to their bodies. The traveling member is provided with retarding means to effect a gradual descent of the member about the pole.

The invention has for a further object to provide a fire escape of this character in which the permanent parts thereof may be secured against a wall at one side of the window so that the device will not obstruct the window or interfere with the passage of light therethrough. a

The invention still further designs a fire escape having relatively few parts which may be readily assembled andplaced in position, to produce an economical structure,

and a device which may be readily and quickly operated without experience with or special knowledgeof the same.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of I the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the pole of the fire escape as applied to a wall; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the traveling member or yoke of the fire escape; Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the pole as applied to the wall, disclosing the bracket employed; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the yoke on the line 5-5. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of one end of the yoke, disclosing a slightly modified form of the gripping member. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the yoke being partly open.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a pole, substantially elliptical in cross section, having series of projections 11 disposed in staggered relation upon its opposite edges, and extending, preferably, from the top of the wall 12 of the building to a point dis tanced a few-feet above the ground. Each projection 11 has a short upper face or shoulder 13 inclined slightly downward, while its lower face 1 1 is elongated and inclined slightly inward joining the inner edge of the adjacent shoulder 13 of the underlying projection. The projections 11 merge into the opposite sides of the pole 10, providing the pole with smooth uninterrupted inner and outer sides.

The pole 10 is supported against, and spacedfrom, the wall 12 by a number of brackets, each bracket comprising a hori- Zontal arm 15 secured at its inner end against the inner face of the pole 10, and meeting thereat a diagonal arm 16 disposed therebeneath. Base plates 17 are carried upon the inner ends of the arms 15 and 16, and are secured against the wall 12 to support the bracket preferably by tie-rods 17* passing entirely through the wall 12.

The traveling member of the fire escape comprises a yoke formed in two U-shape sections, 18 and 19 having their outer arms elongated and hinged together at their outer edges, as at 20, so that the sections face one another when closed. The yoke engages loosely about the pole 10, the inner short arms of the sections thereof being spaced apart to receive therebetween the horizontal arms 15 of the brackets when the yoke is moved over the pole.

From Fig. 7, it will be seen that the outer arms of the yoke are provided with abutting shoulders 21 which meet when the yoke is closed, the sections 18 and 19 being held in such closed position by a spring latch 22. The latch 22 comprises a spring arm secured at one end against the outer edge of the same closed. The free end of the latch 22 is sions or recesses formed inthe opposed faces 1 The retarding means carried by the yoke comprises a pair of gripping members 25 arranged within the opposite ends of the yoke for engagement against the opposite edges of the pole 10. The gripping members 25 preferably comprise blocks having concaved inner opposite faces 26 receiving the projections 11. Springs 27 are inter posed between the blocks 25 and the inner ends of the sections 1 8 and '19 to yieldingly hold the gripping members or blocks 25 against the edges of the pole 10. The springs 27 are seated at their ends in depresof the, blocks 25 and the sections 18 and 19 to hold the springs in position. The blocks 25 have lateral projections 28 of reduced thickness engaglng in longitudinal slots 29 formed in the inner sides of the arms of the yoke to guide the blocks in their movement.

These blocks 25 are preferably provided a with rounded lower inner edges 30 to receive the shoulders 13 and effect the easy sliding movement of the blocks thereagainst.

The yoke is provided at its opposite ends,

and at its outer side, with rings 31 secured thereto by lugs 32, or the like, for the reception of a body engaging strap 33. The strap 33 passes around the body of the person using the fire escape beneath the arms, and is of suitable strength and thickness to support and to fit comfortably about the body.

In practice, a pole 10 is preferably positioned against the wall 12 at one side of each of the windows so that access may readily be had to the same to apply the traveling memher or yoke. IVhen it is desired to use the fire escape the strap 33 is passed about the body beneath the arms and is secured when adjusted. The spring latch 22 is drawn outwardly, by means of the lip 22, when the sections 18 and 19 are swung back from one another to admit of the positioning of the yoke about the pole 10. When the yoke is applied to the pole 10, the sections 18 and 19 are pressed in against the pole. The gripping members or blocks 25 engage against the projections 11 and the sections are forced together against the tension of the springs 27 as the blocks 25 are retracted between the arms of the yoke. As soon as the shoulders 21 of the sections are brought into contact with one another, the shoulder 23 of the spring latch snaps into the depression 2i and locks the sections about the pole. The operator now throws his weight upon the strap 33 when the yoke is forced down over the pole. As the yoke moves down the blocks 25 alternately, strike against the inclined faces or shoulders 13 of the projections 11 and are caused to retract against the tension of the springs 27. The outward movement of the blocks 25 retards the downward movement of the yoke, and as one of the blocks 25 passes over the shoulder 13 the opposite block 25 strikes the corresponding shoulder at the opposite edge of the pole. Inthis manner the blocks 25 are alternately retracted in the yoke and, owing to the closely positioning of the projections 11, a H

practically steady slow downward movement of the yoke is elfected.

In the slightly modified form of the gripping member disclosed in Fig. 6, the gripping niember 25* comprises a small wheel preferably having a peripheral groove 26*, and being mounted midway of the ends upon a spindle 28 The spindle 28' is our- ,naled at its ends in'the grooves 29 *of the arms of the member 18. The spindle 28 is N yieldingly held in the outer ends of the grooves 29 by springs 27 interposed between the spindles 28 and the inner ends of the yoke member 18; NVhen the gripping wheel 25 is employed it is adapted to lessen the frictional contact between the yoke or traveling member and the projections 11 upon the'pole 10. I

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A fire escape including a vertical stationary pole, a yoke detachably engaging with the pole to move down thereover, and retarding means carried by the yoke for engagement with the pole.

2. Ina fire escape, a vertical member having projections arranged in staggered relation at itsopposite sides, a yoke engaging about the vertical member and adapted to ioo carry a weight, and gripping members carried upon the yoke and yieldably engaging against the projections to retard the downward movement of the yoke.

3. A fire escape comprising a pole having projections in its edges disposed in stag-' gered relation, a detachable yoke engaging about the pole for downward movement thereabout, oppositely disposed gripping members slidable within the yoke for engagement against the project-ions upon the pole, and springs carried within the yoke and engaging with the blocks to yieldingly hold the same against the sides of the pole.

4. In a fire escape, a vertical pole having projections on its opposite sides and in staggered relation, a split yoke detachably engaging about the pole, a latch carried by the yoke for locking the same about the pole, and gripping members disposed in the yoke for yielding engagement against the projections of the pole.

5. In a fire escape, a vertical pole having projections upon its sides, a yoke detachably engaging about the pole, gripping members carried in the yoke for engagement with the projections, and a body strap carried upon the yoke for engagement about the body.

6. A fire escape comprising a vertical pole having staggered lateral projections, a traveling member disposed about the pole and adapted to move down thereover by gravity, and gripping members carried by the traveling member and yieldingly engaging the pole and the projections to retard the movement of the traveling member.

7. A fire escape comprising a vertical pole having lateral project-ions arranged in staggered relation in its opposite sides, a

detachable traveling member engaging about the pole and adapted to slide down thereon, and yieldable gripping members arranged in the traveling member for sliding engagement with the projections to re tard the downward movement of the traveling member.

8. A fire escape comprising a vertical pole, a yoke slidable on the pole and adapted to fall by gravity, and spring pressed blocks in the yoke slidingly engaging with the pole to control the descent of the sliding member.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARY B. FEINEN. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

LEO FEINEN, FRED K. T. P. SIMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

